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While digital images and documents are becoming more and more common, printers are far from a thing of the past. Printers are so efficient and high-quality now that you can print your own photos at home, and they’ll look like professional prints. When it comes time to buy a new printer, you might find yourself getting overwhelmed by the array of options, but it’s all about knowing your needs and doing your research. This guide will help break down your choices so that you end up with a printer you love.

Inkjet or Laser?

This is the first big decision you need to make: do you need an inkjet printer or a laser printer? Each type has its own pros and cons, and it’s all about deciding what’s most important to you. Inkjet printers are great for printing a wide variety of things, including photos, documents, and more. They are extremely versatile machines but could be a little slower than a laser printer.

Laser printers are great if you’re primarily printing documents filled with text. They’ll make the text look sharp and crisp and will print large quantities very quickly, making them a go-to choice for office printers. However, they’re not the best at printing photos, so if this is your main goal, you’re going to want to go with an inkjet printer.

Special Features?

Now that you’ve settled on an inkjet or laser printer, you need to decide if there are any special features you want to be included with your printer. Do you want a machine that can also scan, copy, and or send faxes, or is printing the only capability you need? You can get a printer that does it all – commonly called an “all-in-one” machine – but be prepared to pay for those extra features.

If all you need to do is print, you don’t need to spend the extra bucks on a printer with fax and scanning capabilities. If you’re looking for office printers, it’s probably a good idea to get all the extra features possible, so that you don’t have to buy a separate machine down the road.

Brand

Once you’ve nailed down all the specifics of what you want out of a printer, it’s time to look at brands. Do some research and find a couple of brands that have consistently good customer reviews combined with the right price point for your budget. If you want to buy your printer in person instead of ordering it online, make sure your preferred brand is available in your area. For example, if you’re specifically looking for a Kyocera or Konica Minolta printer in Richmond, VA, make sure there are vendors in your area that carry those brands so that you can see them and test them out in person.

Finding the right auto insurance company can be a confusing, exhausting undertaking, especially if it’s your first time looking for insurance coverage. It may seem like every company is claiming that they offer the cheapest rates and the best coverage. Where does someone without insurance industry expertise even begin? These five tips will help guide you toward a car insurance company that offers great rates and excellent coverage.

Look at Multiple Companies

Never assume a particular insurance company is always going to be the cheapest option regardless of circumstance. Big insurance companies spend millions and millions of dollars on advertising every year in an effort to try to convince you that you’ll never find more affordable car insurance at another company no matter what. What they don’t tell you is that car insurance rates vary enormously for different people. Your insurance rate depends on a wide variety of factors, including your age, gender, driving history, driving habits, type of car, and so much more. No single insurer can ever honestly claim to provide the lowest possible quote for every single person. Do your research, shop around, and compare rates to find a cheap car insurance company that still offers good coverage.

Seek Out All Possible Discounts

Car insurance companies will offer you discounts on your monthly rates for all types of things: a clean driving record, good grades, your level of education, and even your profession. If you’re looking to insure anything other than your car, you can also get discounted rates from many companies by bundling your auto insurance with things like homeowners insurance. You can also usually get a lower quote if you insure multiple vehicles on the same policy. These kinds of discounts can add up to significant savings in the long run.

Choose Your Car Wisely

If you’re in the market for a new car, keep insurance costs in mind when you’re shopping around. Vehicles with lower maintenance and repair costs will likely get you a lower premium. Certain safety features like anti-lock brakes, automatic safety belts, anti-collision technology, and side airbags can also possibly get you a lower rate. Talk to an expert and get some advice before committing to a car.

Keep Your Credit Score High

Depending on what state you live in, your credit score could have a significant effect on your insurance rate. Do everything you can to keep your credit score high. Pay your bills on time, reduce your debt, maintain a low credit card balance, and talk to a financial expert for more tips on raising your credit score.

Go to the Insurance Doctor

Having an expert sort through insurance rates and find you the right coverage at the right price can be one of the best ways to guarantee that you’ll be satisfied with your policy. Insurance Doctor provides fast, competitive auto insurance quotes for residents of North Carolina and Virginia. They do all the hard work for you, so you don’t have to waste hours online or on the phone trying to figure out what insurance policy to choose. Insurance Doctor will help you find a cheap car insurance company that still offers the coverage you need. With Insurance Doctor, you’ll get the best combination of coverage, price, and customer service, and they’ll work until you’re completely satisfied with your new car insurance policy.

Employee productivity can make or break a business. In a competitive market, having a productive workforce can be the difference between success and failure. As a boss or business owner, you do your best to hire hard-working people who are well suited to their jobs. But getting the most out of your employees is more complicated than simply hiring good people and stepping away. You have to create a comfortable environment that’s conducive to productivity and doesn’t hinder anyone’s ability to work efficiently.

Creating the right kind of work environment goes beyond merely finding an office space that you like. You have to think about the lighting, the accessibility, the temperature, and so much more. Too much or too little light or inconsistent temperatures throughout the day can make the workplace uncomfortable and decrease your employees’ ability to be productive. These problems are exacerbated by the fact that many office buildings are built with glass walls or large windows. Letting in natural light is great, but what about the problems it can cause?

Commercial Window Tint

Commercial window tinting can solve many of the most common problems with the office environment and increase productivity as a result. Having a professional commercial window tinting company apply tint to your office windows can reduce the heat entering your building by 60% or more. That means that you’ll be able to control the temperature more easily and keep the office consistently comfortable for your employees. Less outdoor heat also means lower energy bills during the summer months. You’ll have to run the AC less, and those savings will add up quickly.

Window tint also blocks excess sunlight and reduces glare. Reducing glare makes it dramatically easier to look at a computer all day without getting a headache or developing vision issues. Simultaneously, commercial window tinting also blocks excess sunlight and is specifically designed to block UV rays. UV rays are the type of sun’s rays that are harmful to our skin and can cause conditions like skin cancer. Doing whatever you can to reduce your employees’ exposure to UV rays will help keep them healthy.

Investing in commercial window tinting is a simple, cost-effective way to increase your employees’ productivity by creating a safer, more comfortable work environment. Solar Concepts provides high-quality commercial window tinting services for business of all kinds. Solar Concepts will work with you to make sure you get exactly what you need from your window tint. Solar Concepts has been in the commercial window tinting business for years, and their expertise and in-depth knowledge of the industry allows them to complete every job to the highest standard.

Congrats, you have a business! But, have you thought about the health of your environment and employees? Your company can not be successful, if all of your employees are our sick. How do you solve that problem? Easy.. commercial cleaning.

Commercial Carpet Cleaning

You may think that this is obvious that your floors need to be vacuumed on a regular basis, but did you know that bacteria and allergies thrive in carpet? Chem-Dry commercial carpet cleaning claims that with their Hot Carbonating Extraction (HCE) process, it removes on average 89% of the bacteria in the air and 82.3% of the bacteria from carpets! It also is tested and proven that it removes 98% of allergens from carpets and upholstery! All of us would benefit from a clean work space especially those who suffer from allergies and disorders like asthma!

Maintaining a healthy and clean work environment is not only good for business but for your employees health and the image of your company. Potential customers may judge your businesses professional integrity by the stains in your carpet. Chem-Dry’s mission is helping your employees and customers enjoy a healthy environment which starts with clean carpets. We use 80% less water than typical steam cleaning so carpets dry in hours instead of days, making it the safer and more convenient carpet cleaning choice. It also provides the ability to keep working or resume working much quicker than traditional methods.

If you are looking for the healthy way to keep your office and employees safe, healthy, and productive, check out Chem-Dry’s in your area. Depending on who you contact you may even be able to find a coupon to save money on your commercial carpet cleaning – for instance, TNT Chem-Dry is offering $50 Off for any 700 sq. ft. area or more.

Commercial Tile & Grout Cleaning

Carpet is not the only surface of an office space! Some may only have tile floors, or you can’t forget about hallways and bathrooms. You want a company that is properly equipped, professionally trained and have specialized employees to handle all flooring. Depending on your size of employees and square footage, you may only need a yearly deep clean or an on-going service contract to guarantee a healthy and sanitized work environment.

Schedule your commercial cleaning today whether you have carpets and/or tile. Your employees, customers, and potential clients will all thank you for providing a healthy work space and knowing they aren’t at risk for allergens and bacteria.

You can be issued a traffic ticket for many different reasons, and the severity of the consequences will depend on the moving violation you were pulled over for. For instance, a ticket for going 5mph over a 35mph speed limit will have much less severe consequences than a DUI or evading a police officer, which could be a misdemeanor or felony offense. The latter are much more serious charges, and therefore they cannot be prepaid by mail. They can potentially result in your license being suspended, heavy fines, or even jail time.

Speeding tickets in Virginia that are less than 20 mph over the limit and under 80mph are generally considered to be simple traffic infractions. Tickets for running a stop light or rolling through a stop sign are also generally considered to be traffic infractions. These can often be paid by mail. However, prepaying by mail might not always be the best option – or even an available option, depending on your situation.

The Driver’s License Point System

In Virginia, people with driver’s licenses can be issued demerit points by the DMV when they get a ticket. Common infractions will result in getting three or four demerit points. Getting a ticket for a more serious offense like a DUI or reckless driving will often result in six points being issued.

In some situations, prepaying a traffic ticket can get a little complicated. For example, if you have recently been convicted of another traffic offense and get another ticket, the DMV will send a driver a letter to tell them of the risks they are facing if they accumulate too many demerit points. If you get enough tickets where you rack up 12 points in a year, or 18 points in two years, the DMV will notify you that you need to complete a driver improvement course. These can be done in person or online, but younger drivers will often be required to do them in person.

If you get 18 points in under a year, or 24 points in two, things get much worse. Your license will be suspended automatically for 90 days by the DMV. You’ll also have to complete an additional driver improvement class, and you’ll be placed on DMV probation. Keep in mind that this is in addition to any punishments, fines, or jail time ordered by a judge for anything you’re convicted of in court.

Prepaying a Ticket While on Probation or on Bond

If you’re on probation or bond, prepaying a ticket for a traffic infraction can also be complicated. If you’re on probation, you’ll need to let your probation officer know about the ticket. Depending on the circumstances of your probation, your traffic ticket could result in a probation violation – even if it was a relatively minor infraction like speeding. A probation violation is a separate criminal offense, meaning it can lead to much heavier consequences beyond those from the ticket itself.

For someone out on bond that is awaiting trial, the situation will be similar to the above, with one big difference. When someone is on bond, they will have to show up in court and convince a judge not to revoke their bond over the traffic infraction. The circumstances surrounding why you are on bond will play into the judge’s decision, as well as how severe the traffic offense was.

If you’re looking for an attorney to help with your traffic ticket, conduct an online search using Google. For instance, if you live in Chesterfield, VA, you would search with “traffic attorney chesterfield” to see the various law firms in your area that can help you. Make sure to look at their online reviews and their credentials before choosing a couple to contact. Most law firms will allow for a free consultation, and you can usually set one up by using a form on their website or calling them directly.

Displaying the products your company makes at a tradeshow is a great way to show off your recent efforts and get some feedback from attendees. However, showing off your new products in this type of environment presents a lot of different questions you’ll want to think about ahead of time. Will you be doing a live product presentation? Is there a prerecorded video component? Will attendees have hands-on time with your products? Will this require supervision? How will your products be positioned in your display? Will they sit on the floor, on a table, or on shelving? How big are they? Do they require a power source to operate? It can be a great idea to let the audience try out your products in person, but as you can see, there are lots of moving parts in the presentation puzzle, and you’ll want to review these to ensure everything goes according to plan.

Review these pointers if you’re planning on displaying your products at an upcoming presentation – Even if you’ve been exhaustive in your presentation, there might be something here you hadn’t thought of!

Live Product Demonstrations Are King

Live product demonstrations are one of the best way to engage prospective clients. A good one will stop people from aimlessly moving from trade show booth to trade show booth and stop at yours to get more information. If your demo is particularly good, you might even get some additional exposure in a trade show publication, either in print or on the web. When designing trade show exhibits, keep your product demonstration in mind. You’ll need to think of whether or not you have enough counter space, video components, and more and factor these into the equation when designing your exhibit.

Don’t Present Too Much At Once

If you’re showing off too much, your audience can easily get distracted or overwhelmed. Keep their attention on some core examples of your product by focusing your efforts on just a few items. You’ll want to keep this in mind when designing your trade show booth. You’ll need enough open space for your product to be displayed, stored, and demonstrated, and potentially enough room for your audience to come check it out themselves. Don’t leave it at just that though – ensure your trade show booth has space for everything you’ll need beyond a demonstration, like a space for a signup kiosk, or even a shelve to store your laptop to jot down notes.

Keep Product Size In Mind

Are your products very large? Having something really big in your exhibit can be impressive, but this will quickly wear off if the audience doesn’t know why it’s part of the exhibit. Make sure you have plenty of signage that grabs attention and quickly explains why a larger item is there. If your products are tiny, you’ll need to go the opposite route. Support your demonstrations by including enlarged photographs of smaller products as parts of your tradeshow display. You could even include video displays that show close-ups of your product.

Make Sure Everything Is Well Lit

Just like a stage in a theater, your trade show exhibit will host a performance of sorts, and you should make it’s lighted accordingly! Don’t rely on the lighting in the venue, you’ll want to ensure your exhibit is properly lit regardless of external circumstances. Spending some extra money on lighting will go a long way, and it can emphasize your display and products in a great way if you go the extra mile.

Every year, my company brings all of its employees to a private getaway in the Mediterranean, away from the non-stop hustle and bustle that constantly plagues our lives. It is a welcome break from the work life, and something that every employee looks forward to, for good reason. Employee outings have consistently been shown to be a great factor in helping improve the work environment around the office, which not only provides a greater overall atmosphere, but is yet another incentive for individuals who work for the company to stick around.

More and more often, I’ve been hearing the complete opposite from friends and family alike. They work for businesses that provide little to no benefits, and are constantly jumping from company to company because of negative work environments and a bad company “personality”.

Time and time again, I’ve personally seen a huge growth in my company’s retention rate and overall client happiness and success since we implemented our company vacation. It’s been a great factor in allowing us to continue growing and pursuing larger and more valuable clients.

If you’ve been looking for a great opportunity to bring your company together as a team, and promote overall cohesiveness and a more positive work atmosphere, an entertaining outing can be just what you need.

It can be tough deciding what to do as a company, but it varies greatly, depending on a variety of factors, such as your company’s size, your annual budget, the type of individuals working for your company, and so on. Luckily, there are an endless number of events you could pursue, such as:

Breakout Room

A somewhat new concept that has been gaining popularity recently are puzzle-type scenarios called breakout rooms. In these fun events, you have a group that is “trapped” in a room, and has to use context clues, their tremendous logic, and polished detective skills in order to find the key to exit. These can be great for all types of companies, and as they have been growing, they have been popping up all over the country.

Volunteer Event

My company likes to have at least 2-3 volunteer events each year. These can be anything from a local river clean-up, to volunteering at the homeless shelters around the area serving food and helping out. This is not only a good time to chat with your fellow coworkers, but you get to give back to the community and feel good. This can lead to more positive mindsets throughout the office as well, which can be a big productivity increase!

Luxury Vacation

If you are a more upscale company (looking at you, small digital start-ups!), you can pursue more luxurious vacation outings for your company, such as a private Meridian Yacht Charter, a relaxing retreat to the Bahamas, or a weekend stay in the mountains, enjoying the cabins and outdoors. The possibilities are truly as endless as your budget.

No matter what you choose to pursue for your company’s vacation, it’s important that above all else, you ensure that you have a great time bonding with each other and taking a break off from the hustle and bustle of the usual work flow. Company outings are meant to be a wholesome, positive experience that is enjoyed by everyone, so have fun or it’s not worth it!

Spending time to empower your employees and help them to succeed is far easier said than done. It is through sharing the level of power that you will allow your employees to serve the customers and spark their creative talents.

Here are 6 ways you can help your employees succeed.

Invite Conversations

Sharing information with our team is not only important to building trust but will also give your employees useful information that will allow them to improve the situation. Keeping your treat on the same page will empower them to strive for more, not just for themselves but for the company as a whole.

Set Clear Company Goals

Be clear in the vision, roles, and goals of the company. This will help create the appropriate framework that is necessary to help guide your team in making strong decisions in how they can keep the customers happy and maintain customer service satisfaction.

Create A Supportive Environment

Build a supportive environment that celebrates both success and failure. Celebrate those who took a risk, despite their results. Celebrate the efforts given and the valuable lessons they as well as the entire team has learned. Take time to discuss various situations and determine how to handle the issues in the future. Discussing hands-on situations will help the company grow into a supportive environment with a happy team.

Allow Employees Learn From Mistakes

If you want to empower your employees the right way, you must each that those mistakes are part of reaching success. Teaching them to make decisions that may keep the customers happy will also allow them to learn from mistakes. Avoid the signs of berating those who try something different.

Working with your team to create a stable environment will not only increase the satisfaction of customers but also improve the company’s reputation. Running a successful business requires training, practice, and the ability to make mistakes during the process of learning.

How do you work to empower your employees? Comment below and share your ideas with us!

Did you know that happy employees will result in happy clients and a successful business? Employee empowerment will allow employees to gain better input and control over the progress of their work and share their ideas and suggestions about their job and the company. With their help, businesses can grow and gain a powerful team.

Here are 4 benefits of empowering your employees.

Promote Better Service to Customers

Employees who feel empowered within the company will go beyond expectations to do what it right for the customers. They will be able to create the feeling of quality customer service. This will ultimately lead to customer loyalty and improve service to customers.

Improve Levels of Productivity

Happy employees will have the confidence to discuss their ideas on how to improve team productivity and reduce the costs of the company. all it takes is a welcoming company to listen. Once an employee gains the courage to step outside the box and show the benefits of empowerment, they will feel their value in the company and increase their productivity.

Challenge the Change

Employees who feel empowered will feel the freedom to challenge the status quo and look to improve the ever-changing environment. Employees who feel confident in their work will look for ways to improve the company and move past the competitors. This will establish a setting where they can feel free to challenge, challenge and contribute to new ideas on how to benefit the employees and the company.

Cultivate Innovation

Employees with empowerment will consider the growth of the company to offer more ideas and solutions to solving problems within the brand. When the employees meet certain challenges or find ways to improve within the business, it will not only help them grow but also motivate the entire time to improve and think about creative solutions.

What are your thoughts on empowering your employees? What things have you done to lift your team? Comment below and share your thoughts with us!

According to statistics, almost eight out of ten new businesses fail within the first 18 months of starting. In fact, over a third of new businesses survive past ten years of business. Even with quality products and excellent services, how you first approach your market will play a long-standing effect and cause the failure in business.

In this guide, we will discuss the 3 most common reasons why businesses fail and how to avoid them.

Poor Leadership Skills

If you as the owner show poor leadership skills, especially in management, your business will ultimately fail. This is evident in owners who struggle as a leader due to the lack of experience and knowledge in running a business. Other reasons for leadership failure are also poor staff supervision and the vision to lead the business. Is your team in agreement on how you should run your business? Do you and your partner fail to see eye to eye or contradict instructions to the staff? Ultimately these poor issues will result in a failing business unless you learn to resolve the issues.

How to avoid this?

It is important for the leadership team to tackle down every aspect of the business that ranges from finances to employee discussion. Once your productivity begins to hinder, your business will continue to fall. It is important to learn, study, and do your research to enhance your skills in leadership.

Lack of Value and Creativity

Even the best products and services can lead to a failing business. Whether it may be the lack of value or approach, the demand will be the only thing that will keep you from failing. It is the creativity that helps your business stands out from your competitors.

How to avoid this?

Consider what sets your business apart from the rest? What would make your business all the more unique? It is important to develop a customized approach that no other competitor in the industry has done. You can publicize your brand by stepping up your marketing plan. Take advantage of the use of social media, cold calling, word of mouth, and other successful marketing techniques.

Poor Management in Finances

If your business fails due to the lack of financial planning, this puts businesses at the low end of success. It is important to prepare your finances wisely as poor accounting will prevent the brand from reaching further success.

How to avoid this?

You can use professional accounting software for your business to help keep track of all transactions that includes expenditure and revenue. This will help you to run your business proficiently and manage all financial affairs.

Conclusion

To help improve your chances of achieving a successful business, you must prepare not just the team but also the audience you plan to market. It is important to understand the strengths and weaknesses of your competitor and determine what makes they succeed and what they lack. Use this knowledge to take advantage of your business.